spit vs defog

[Amphiprion]

I generally use spit with a little mucus from the back of my throat. (mask cleaned with toothpaste beforehand). Rub it good, let it sit a couple of minutes and then splash a little water in it to rinse out the film. I also keep a little water in the bottom of my mask to clear any foggy areas as I dive.

 

[fnfalman]

I bought a $4 bottle of Defog three years ago. 200-dives later, I'm barely half way through the bottle, and it works a lot better than my spit.

 

[RAWalker]

I've used commercial anti-fog without complaint but they tend to be pricey.
I've used spit but it doesn't seem to work as well and when diving in saltwater may be difficult to get some good spit worked up.
I'm sticking with full strength baby shampoo but have found they aren't all created equal. Some are thinner consistancy than others and some do irritate the eyes more than others. My choice is Johnson & Johnson Baby shampoo no tears and a good thick consistancy that doesn't wash away to easy.
A travel sized bottle is about the same size as commercial anti-fog. It seems to last just as long and a bottle costs about a buck.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

1. New or old, the mask lens needs to be clean. White toothpaste (I like Colgate ) works best. New masks typically take several "treatments" with toothpaste before you can even hope to keep them fog-free during the dive. Be patient. Spend at least 10 minutes scrubbing, rinsing, and scrubbing. If you have not used your "old" mask in a few weeks, it should be "toothpasted" again.
2. Commercial defog, spit, or for you really old timers, spit plus tobacco, all work on a correctly "prepared" mask.
3. The key is leaving just the right amount of "film" on the lens to allow the condensed water to run down the lens in a transparent sheet and not fog...

Me: Spit, rub, quick rinse, then (hope this does not gross out those with weaker stomachs) I lick the inside of the mask lens, put on the mask, and dive. Just the right amount of "slime" for a fog-free dive Seriously... it does work, but you do get a lot of weird stares....

Best wishes.

 

[knowone]

Yes. Sweet sriped colourful bubblegum tasting gel is not toothpaste.

Sometimes your head is hot or cold or your mask is hot or cold and nothing will work and may take a couple of flood clears to equalise all the temps so you can go about your business looking at things and smiling.

 

[Solly]

New mask needs a lighter then toothpaste
white toothpaste not gel
The best way it works for me is to put the toothpaste, leave to dry then scrub it while dry (do not do it with water) finally spit as you are gearing up ...

 

[ozziworld]

On Brand New Mask - I have found that both the softscrub, toothpaste and lighter all work when properly done. I prefer toothpaste.

On regular use mask during gear up - I have found bottled defog, spit, toothpaste and baby shampoo all work as well.

I want to add that I have observed that a good fitting mask fogs less because whichever defog (film layer) agent one uses is not washed away by repeated clearings and floodings. Also, this inconvenient cycle automatically requires one to exhale into the mask more often to clear which creates more "warm moist" air inside the mask.

I clean my mask after each use with white toothpaste to make sure it is clean before I put it away.

When gearing up - I used to spit which worked fine. I now use baby shampoo or toothpaste because I now dive with my daughter who finds spitting gross. Come to think of it, divers who use spit should do so discreetly. When over done - it can actually be quite disgusting to watch.

The other thing no one has mentioned is inhale and exhale through your mouth. Do not exhale through your nose unless clearing your mask. This exactly what we do when we want to replicate the fogging.

This brings us back to a good fitting mask being the best mask in the world it is comfortable, dry and clear.

 

[Doc]

I am glad my budget isn't so constrained that I have to factor in the $6 annual cost of quality defog.

I find the Sea Gold gel far more effective ....

That's because you haven't tried the Sea Drops Titanium yet.

It is a mixture of titanium and the sweat scraped from the inner thighs of virgin Swedish divemistresses.

The more you spend the better it works.

 

[Dr Neil]

My spit doesn't seem to work - never has. Perhaps I am missing the vital enzymes.

I either use Sea Gold (commercial) or baby shampoo.

However the key is a clean lens.

 

[Togalive]

ok so i went on my discover scuba day and used my cressi big eyes evolution goggles, i put anti fog on them and let them sit for about 20 mins while i was waiting for the group before us to get done (yes i did put toothpaste on them when i got them to remove the chemical film on them) but after i washed them off the right side of the mask fogged a little bit, i spit in them when we went to the deeper part but from then i couldnt tell because i let a little bit of water in pinching my nose so for the rest of my dive thing i would just look down and swish my head around do they never got that far, so basically what i want to ask if what works better for you, if you spit on your goggles before the dive or if you would rather put defog on your mask?? or heck maybe you do both??

Usually I'll just use spit, it works just as well as defog, and you can never forget it at home Then I'll let some of the water im going to be diving in sit inside the mask while im getting everything on. Otherwise, if I run into any fogging issues while under, I'll just either clear my mask, or take it off entirely and rub my finger around on the lenses inside, then its usually crystal clear But unless they taught you how to clear in your discover scuba class, you probably shouldnt try it while under.